Air conditioner cooling tower open water pan cover apparatus



Se t. 8, 1970 R. c. SCHULTZ AIR CONDITIONER COOLING TOWER OPEN WATER PAN COVER APPARATUS Filed Dec. 12, 1968 INVENTOR. @EERT C 56/7 01. 72

/77WR/l //5 United States Patent 3,527,444 AIR CONDITIONER COOLING TOWER OPEN WATER PAN COVER APPARATUS Robert C. Schultz, 12409 Ellen Center, Silver Spring, Md. 20904 Filed Dec. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 783,303 Int. Cl. B05b 1/26 US. Cl. 261-408 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An air-conditioner cooling tower-open water pan cover apparatus having a set of paired sliding door panels which are disposed to slide along a set of tracks on top of a tower, in which a tower pan feed water pipe passes through one set of the doors and in which the doors may be slid off the tracks for maintenance, repair and cleaning of the airconditioning and cooling equipment.

The present invention relates to improved cover panels designed for obtaining acess to air-conditioner cooling tower equipment and for allowing cleaning, maintenance inspection and improved etliciency of the air-conditioner apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide means to prevent sunlight from getting to the water in the open pans and thus prevent the growth of algae.

Another object of the invention is the advantage that the apparatus prevents fly ash from incinerator towers and other smokestack means from getting into the cooling tower pans and the tower Water.

A further object of the invention is to prevent trash and debris from being thrown into and collected in the tower pans when towers are near ground level.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a generally perspective view of the air-conditioner cooling tower-open water pan cover according to the preferred and best mode of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an airconditioner cooling tower having side walls 12, 14 and in which there is disposed within the tower a water pan 16. Intermediate the tower and extending from above to the water pan 16 is a pan-feed water-pipe 20 to feed the water pan 16. Along opposite sides of one set of the walls 14 is a set of paired aluminum tracks 22, 24 and 26, 28. The aluminum tracks are disposed on the inner or facing side walls 14. Engaging the mating or paired tracks are the ends of a pair of panels 30, 32, 34, 36 and in which the middle set of panels 30, 34 have a circular cutout portion 40, 40 to receive thepipe 20 entering the water pan 16. The panels are of plastic or other impervious materials so that sunlight does not pass therethrough.

On each side of the panels -36, there are, respectively, handles 42-48 for opening and closing the panels for closing out sunlight or for opening to engage the inner space for inspection, maintenance, repair and the like.

Bolt holes 50, 52 are provided in the panel tracks and the panels to receive a drop-bolt so that when the bolt is inserted in the bolt hole, the panels are locked in place in the tracks to position them from falling out of the tower. Otherwise, the panels slide out the ends of the tracks so that access for maintenance may be provided to the inner space of the tower 10.

In FIG. 2, there is shown a three-sided plastic fitting or molding 60, 62 that fits upon the end of the panels 30-36 and in which there are shown projections 64, 66, 68, that provide an eflicient contact surface which is more efiicient than a surface-to-surface contact between the panels and the track 26, 28. The plastic projections 64-70 may be of nylon or other resilient and sufliciently hard plastic material as is known in the art. The guides 22, 24, 26, 28 may also be made of plastic or nylon or material similar to projections 64-70. Aluminum also may be used if desired.

The panels 30-36 are adapted to roll or slide upon the tracks so that maintenance may be provided through access to the water pan. Any loose scale, dust, debris, fly ash, and other foreign matter may be collected from the water pan when the panels are removed for general maintenance and inspection purposes. The panels are used the year around, and it may be desirable to raise the tracks 22-28 so that any collection of snow, ice or water upon the top surface of the panels will drain 01f. Also weep holes may be drilled in the undersides of the tracks 22-28 for drainage.

The prior art devices have used tower pan-s with heavy metal covers that are bolted or screwed down making it diificult to obtain access to the water pans. When the heavy pan covers are lifted up, there is always danger of wind getting under them and injuring maintenance personnel or the panels may fall from the building. In those devices where the covers have been made of canvas they are not sufliciently permanent and are torn up by high winds. Due to the construction of the present invention, the panels are held in place by heavy tracks and safety bolts on the ends of the panels affording simple and safe access to the water pans for cleaning and inspection.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiment described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner cooling tower-open water pan cover apparatus comprising:

a tower having four sides,

a water pan within said tower,

a pan-feed water-pipe entering the tower from above the tower to feed said water pan,

a set of paired aluminum tracks on two opposite sides of the tower being disposed on the inner sides thereof,

said pipe passing into the tower at an intermediate point,

a pair of panels on each side of the pipe, one panel having its ends engaging one of said tracks and the other panel engaging the other said track, said' panels being impervious to sunlight, the center panels having a cutout to pass said pipe therethrough, and

3 handles on said panels to open and close said panels.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein bolt holes are provided in said panels to receive a drop-bolt to lock the panels in position to prevent their falling out of the tower.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein projections are provided on the underside of said panels to engage the aluminum track with sufiiciently less friction than surface-to-surface contact.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said panels terminate with a three-sided plastic fitting of nylon wherein said projections are integral therewith, and a further projection is provided at the outer end on the mid-section of said three-sided plastic fitting.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 TIM R. MILES, Primary Eiraminer 

